I was looking at Lee collet dies for my 300 win at Lock stock and Barrel, as I might try just to neck size. There was a disclaimer there that these dies are not to be used for hunting ammo, as the bullet isn't crimped into the case. Clarifications and reccomendations please! It is a bolt action rifle. Thank you

chain,
Who makes the disclaimer? Properly trimmed, there's nothing stopping you applying a crimp when seating the projectile. The neck sizing operation of the collet die is separate from seating and crimping. There are some people who advocate only using full-length resized brass for hunting, which may be a worthwhile suggestion if chasing a trophy of a lifetime or using a pump/lever or semi.
Cheers...
Con

I use the Lee collet dies on most of my loads with very good results. Neck sizing has the advantage that you don't have to lube the brass as you do when full lenth sizing. The issue of using neck sized reloads for hunting has to do with chamber fit. As you neck size several times, eventually the round has trouble chambering when loading because the shoulder has been pushed out. When you notice a little resistance when chambering, this is the indication that it's time to full length size. If you live and or hunt where there are large temperature swings, you could encounter a situation where you will not be able to chamber a neck sized round. That's why many people recommend full lenth resizing hunting loads.

Chain,

I have a number of Lee Collet dies and found that FL sizing is really better for full power loads. The Lee product is a neat item however and I use them for reduced loads. Your chamber has to be round also by the way.

If you have the spare change give one a try as they don't cost much.

There's another thing at work here with the LCD's. As supplied from Lee they are notorious for not sizing the neck down enough to securely hold the bullet. I've taken Lee's advise and chucked the mandrel in a hand drill and lightly sanded it down a thousandth or so and made the bullet hold much better.

The admonition to not use neck sized ammo for hunting is on the conservative side. If you hunt dangerous game, then by all means don't trust your life to anything but full length sizing. For all else, it's your judgement. I prefer to use neck sized ammo. I can't ever remember using full lenth sized ammo for hunting. I guess I got used to using neck sized ammo when ground hog hunting and never looked back. I'm always careful that the ammo goes through the gun without resistance, so there's not a problem.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bobby:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bobby:
There's another thing at work here with the LCD's. As supplied from Lee they are notorious for not sizing the neck down enough to securely hold the bullet. I've taken Lee's advise and chucked the mandrel in a hand drill and lightly sanded it down a thousandth or so and made the bullet hold much better.

The admonition to not use neck sized ammo for hunting is on the conservative side. If you hunt dangerous game, then by all means don't trust your life to anything but full length sizing. For all else, it's your judgement. I prefer to use neck sized ammo. I can't ever remember using full lenth sized ammo for hunting. I guess I got used to using neck sized ammo when ground hog hunting and never looked back. I'm always careful that the ammo goes through the gun without resistance, so there's not a problem.
When I speak, I'm talking exclusively about bolt action rifles, as that's what I use. All other actions do not lend themselves to neck sized ammo very well, except maybe a single shot.

If not Lee what neck sizing die do you use? I think it seems like a sound principle, to only size the neck, at least until you need to resize the whole case. I just don't know which die to buy. Thanks

chain,

I don't use neck sizing dies any longer. I have quite a few of them and used to use them. It was considered the way to go and the loads were supposed to be more accurate neck sized but, in general, the opposite is true.

What with all the rifles I have sighted in I just FL size everything. The exception is for light loads which almost never seem to need FL sizing anyway.

So there I saved you money.

I appreciate it. There is so much to learn.. I feel like a dumb ass most of the time. I really appreciate the help I get here. Thanks

Never say your a DA. Right now you know what it took me years to figure out. Education is the answer to everything.

quote:

Originally posted by chain:
I appreciate it. There is so much to learn.. I feel like a dumb ass most of the time. I really appreciate the help I get here. Thanks

Savage99 is right. I`ve learned more since I`ve been comeing to these boards then I figured out in the first 25+ years of reloading. Stick around and question us. Someone will have your answer and no one will ever think of it as a "dumb" or "odd" question, we`ve all asked them.

Well, Joe, what you say is correct, EXCEPT what you get on this board and others are a lot of opinions, and true experiences. Sprinkled with a few facts now and then. What you have to do is sift it all together to form fact.

I just started using the lee collet neck sizer. So far I like the absence of lube, it eliminates the step to get rid of it. Aslo concerning having lube inside the neck, needed to ease the passage of the neck expander button. I always have used the RCBS nylon neck brushes to put a very light coating of lube inside the necks, then not bothering to remove it.

As for neck tension, there's been a discussion about just how much is needed??¿ I did notice that with the first one in 7-08, the neck tension was MUCH less that when using the standard Hornady FL die,(as to ease of seating a bullet). The loads shot just fine however. I may do the metal removal trick on the mandrel though. I just got one in 300 WSM, .223, and 30-40 krag. I'm going to do some comparrisons between them and FL dies as for amount of neck tension, by sizeing both ways, measuring before and after seating a bullet.

They HAVE to eliminate case stretching caused by pulling the neck/shoulder forward while sizing with a standard expander ball. Even with lube inside the neck.

I like the Lee Collet dies. I use them extensively for BOLT ACTION rifles.

The old wives' tale about only "full length" sizing hunting ammunition is based on the premise that you don't want to experience a failure to chamber when hunting. My question is, when do you want to experience a failure to chamber?

I run EVERY single cartridge that I load through the rifle to assure that it will chamber if the rifle's use is such that a chambering failure would be more than just inconvenient. This includes "full length" sized loads as well as neck-sized brass. If a round fails or is reluctant to chamber (which is extremely rare), it gets set aside or disassembled. As a matter of fact, I would trust neck-sized loads made with brass origially fired in a particular rifle to chamber without mishap much more than "full length" (whatever that is?) sized brass fired in another rifle (range pick-ups).

One thing you can be sure of: The practice of screwing a FL die down agains the shell holder and sizing every reload that way is almost always certain to create a condition of greater-than-desirable headspace, which will lead to brass fatigue and incipient head separation in only a few firings. Now, talk about something that is inconvenient . . . .

I use the Collet dies on my .308 and .223 bolt guns. I also check the sized brass to make sure that it fits in the chamber before seating a bullet.

Used the .308 to good effect this deer season, and plan on continuing using them. Much easier than lubing all of the brass!

chain

For each caliber I reload for I now have a Lee Collet Neck Sizer, a Redding Body Die, and a Lee Factory Crimp Die.

The Collet Neck sizer yields very little runout and I don't have to put lube in the neck.

The Redding Body Die allows me to Partial Full Length Resize which I have started doing on every loading. With the Stoney Point Head & Shoulders Gauge I set the body die to push the shoulder back .002".

The Lee Factory Crimp Die can put a light crimp or a full crimp on any bullet and is easy to adjust. It is not necessary to crimp on a cannelure. I usually put a medium crimp on the bullet which you can set by not closing the gaps in the top of the crimp die. Kinda hard to explain but easy once you do it.

Sure don't miss that lube in the neck.

Don't have to worry about bullet tension and seating depth changing from compressed loads or dropping the case with a medium crimp.

I too check my brass to see if it chambers,before I load a bullet. I had a problem with a few so I check them all. I think I might buy a Lee neck sizer anyway, try my luck. Thanks Guys